Forest Whitaker stars in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” as Cecil Gaines, a black butler who served in seven presidential administrations in the White House.

“The Butler,” which opens Friday, boasts a star-studded cast including Oprah Winfrey as Cecil’s wife Gloria, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Lenny Kravitz as fellow White House butlers, Terrence Howard as a Gaines family friend, and David Oyelowo as Cecil and Gloria’s son Louis. That’s not counting the actors who play the presidents, including Robin Williams (Eisenhower), John Cusack (Nixon) and Alan Rickman (Reagan) — and Jane Fonda (Nancy Reagan).

But Whitaker is the film’s lead in Cecil, a layered character who must navigate the social and political circles at work in the White House, and then come home (“a different kingdom,” Whitaker calls it) and face his wife’s struggles with loneliness and alcoholism, and his son Louis’s brave but dangerous involvement with the Freedom Riders and Black Panthers.

Whitaker sat with the Journal to discuss how he inhabited Cecil, his high hopes for “Fruitvale Station,” which he produced, and whether he’ll direct a sequel to “Waiting to Exhale.”

How did you build Cecil Gaines as a character?

I started off doing historical research, dramaturgy, and trying to understand the period. I started to work with a butler coach and he came to stay with me at my home and also came with me when I was in New Orleans [where the film was shot]. Just to let me understand service and how to do certain things, it was really crucial for me. At the same time, I started to work on the movement process because I wanted to understand not just the aging but where he was coming from. I started working on choosing which speech to use. I knew there was Eugene Allen and I had listened to his voice a lot, but I was choosing that he was from a different city.

Ramsay de Give for The Wall Street Journal

Forest Whitaker photographed at The Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, NY on Aug. 2.

Then I can just safely say to you — I do a process that’s a little different, which is I just surrender. I don’t want to say I throw all of that away, because it does exist. But I fall into a space where I’m hoping to greet the person, greet the spirit and energy of the character, and make an agreement with him. I’m going to walk for him, through this period of time.

How much did you research Eugene Allen’s life?

Eugene Allen was dead when I got this role, but I met his son. I met Wil [Haygood], the author of the Washington Post article about Allen. A number of people who knew him in the White House. So there was a lot of that research and information, and also studying older guys like [White House butler] Alonzo Fields. He wrote a really interesting book and he was also the one who hired Eugene Allen on to the butler staff. I had so many references, like from [Allen] getting dressed, how he moved. All these different photos throughout time of him with different Presidents.

In those photographs, did you see two faces in Allen’s life, as described of Cecil in the film?

He maintains his own identity but the two faces are his own private life, his internal life. That’s what I saw. I wrote that story as I was doing the scenes, trying to understand what he was thinking, what opinions he could project and the things he would keep as his own private thoughts and concerns.

Where do you see yourself in Cecil Gaines, and himself in you?

I think in his flaws, because he had many flaws. Being away from home. The way he disciplined his children, the way he understood parenting from his past. I think inherently he’s trying so hard and wants to do good, wants his family to be well. He cares about those around him. I would hope that I would share some of those qualities.

What was the farthest you had to travel to reach him as an actor?

You know the party games, the card games? Those are fun scenes. I’m more of a quiet hermit. Whenever I do those scenes, I’m always wondering if I’m behaving like normal [laughs]. I’m always thinking, do I look like I’m pretending?

Those scenes are the only times Cecil gives a joyful laugh. In the White House, he’s so quiet and observant.

Yeah, a different person. A different kingdom. I actually worked on finding his particular, odd way of laughing. I did want to show the difference between when I go home to my wife and my kid. And I’m struggling with my wife, she’s an alcoholic. Lee did such an amazing job of the struggles that David [Oyelowo, who plays Cecil's son] was going through. It so much paralleled our relationship. By that I mean the internal mechanism, if you look at is as an energy. He’s out there struggling, getting hosed down. I’m dealing with this frustration and anger to the point where I’m breaking. I’m trying to maintain but I can’t.

You produced Ryan Coogler’s “Fruitvale Station.” That film’s star, Michael B. Jordan, may be nominated for an Oscar. Your name could be next to his in the same category.

Michael’s performance is amazing and beautiful. I try not to get caught up in those things, but I hope that he achieves that. What I’m hoping is that people see this film [“The Butler”], see “Fruitvale” and get something from it, and then I’ll be happy. That movie, “Fruitvale,” it has such depth to it. I think it’s a gift at this moment, when the country is trying to figure out where it’s going. I’ve been really content the last days – contentment in the sense of knowing that something is happening. A movement’s occurring. I’m just happy to be around those in solidarity who have similar feelings. All my wishes are for Ryan and Michael.

Are you directing a sequel to “Waiting to Exhale”?

I was developing it, but I’m not sure because when Whitney [Houston] passed away, it had a different feeling for me. But I know that Fox wants to do it and they’ve talked to me about it, and all the ladies want me to do it. I love them, so we’ll see.